A nation-wide study for the occurrence of PPD antioxidants and 6PPD-quinone in road dusts of China.

N,N'-substituted p-phenylenediamines (PPDs) are widely used antioxidants in rubber tires, which could be released and accumulated in road dusts with rubber tires wear. As ozonation product of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) exhibited higher toxicity to coho salmon. However, studies on their environmental behaviors are still limited. Road dust is the major medium PPDs exist, which significantly affects the levels of PPDs in other mediums, especially surface water and particulate matter. In this study, road dust samples were collected in 55 major cities of China to explore the distribution characteristics of PPDs and 6PPD-Q. The concentrations of total PPDs (ΣPPDs) and 6PPD-Q in urban trunk road dust samples were in the ranges of 7.90-727 and 3.00-349 ng/g, with median concentrations of 68 and 49 ng/g, respectively. 6PPD and 6PPD-Q are the dominant components in most road dusts. The functional region-dependent pollution characteristics of PPDs and 6PPD-Q give the first finding that urban tunnel road was the highly polluted region, followed by urban trunk roads. Suburban road dusts had a lower pollution level. Moreover, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of PPDs and 6PPD-Q for children was much higher than adults.

Metabolic disturbance of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins to zebrafish larva.

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are widely produced chemicals. Short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) were listed as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and candidate POPs under the Stockholm Convention, respectively. The present study explored the developmental toxicity and metabolic disruption caused by SCCPs and MCCPs in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. CPs exposure at environmentally relevant levels caused no obvious phenotypic changes with zebrafish larvae except that the body length shortening was observed after exposure to CPs at 1-200 µg/L for 7 day post fertilization. A further metabolomic approach was conducted to explore the early biological responses of developmental toxicity induced by CPs at low dose (1, 5, and 10 µg/L). The results of metabolic disorder, pathway analysis and chronic values indicated that, compared with SCCPs, MCCPs exhibited more risks to zebrafish larvae at low doses. Lipid metabolism was markedly affected in SCCPs exposure group, whereas MCCPs primarily disturbed lipid metabolism, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolisms. Compare with SCCPs, the relatively higher lipid solubility, protein affinity and metabolic rate of MCCPs can probably explain why MCCP-mediated metabolic disruption was significantly higher than that of SCCP. Notably, SCCPs and MCCPs have the same potential to cause cancer, but no evidence indicates the mutagenicity. In summary, our study provides insight into the potential adverse outcome for SCCP and MCCP at low doses.

[Metabolomic interference induced by short-chain chlorinated paraffins in human normal hepatic cells].

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are an emerging class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are widely detected in environmental matrices and human samples. Because of their environmental persistence, long-range transport potential, bioaccumulation potential, and biotoxicity, SCCPs pose a significant threat to human health. In this study, metabolomics technology was applied to reveal the metabolomic interference in human normal hepatic (L02) cells after exposure to low (1 µg/L), moderate (10 µg/L), and high (100 µg/L) doses of SCCPs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and metabolic effect level index (MELI) values showed that all three SCCP doses caused notable metabolic perturbations in L02 cells. A total of 72 metabolites that were annotated by MS/MS and matched with the experimental spectra in the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) or validated by commercially available standards were selected as differential metabolites (DMs) across all groups. The low-dose exposure group shared 33 and 36 DMs with the moderate- and high-dose exposure groups, respectively. The moderate-dose exposure group shared 46 DMs with the high-dose exposure group. In addition, 33 DMs were shared among the three exposure groups. Among the 72 DMs, 9, 9, and 45 metabolites participated in the amino acid, nucleotide, and lipid metabolism pathways, respectively. The results of pathway enrichment analysis showed that the most relevant metabolic pathways affected by SCCPs were the lipid metabolism, fatty acid ß-oxidation, and nucleotide metabolism pathways, and that compared with low-dose exposure, moderate- and high-dose SCCP exposures caused more notable perturbations of these metabolic pathways in L02 cells. Exposure to SCCPs perturbed glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism. Significant alterations in the levels of phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, and sphingomyelins indicated SCCP-induced biomembrane damage. SCCPs inhibited fatty acid ß-oxidation by decreasing the levels of short- and medium-chain acylcarnitines in L02 cells, indicating that the energy supplied by fatty acid oxidation was reduced in these cells. Furthermore, compared with low- and moderate-dose SCCPs, high-dose SCCPs produced a significantly stronger inhibition of fatty acid ß-oxidation. In addition, SCCPs perturbed nucleotide metabolism. The higher hypoxanthine levels observed in L02 cells after SCCP exposures indicate that SCCPs may induce several adverse effects, including hypoxia, reactive oxygen species production, and mutagenesis in L02 cells.

Immediate implant placement in the posterior mandibular region was assisted by dynamic real-time navigation: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Efficient utilization of residual bone volume and the prevention of inferior alveolar nerve injury are critical considerations in immediate implant placement (IIP) within the posterior mandibular region. Addressing these challenges, this study focuses on the clinical efficacy and implant accuracy of dynamic real-time navigation, an emerging technology designed to enhance precision in implantation procedures. METHODS: This study included 84 patients with 130 implants undergoing immediate placement in the posterior mandibular region. Stratified into dynamic navigation, static guide plate, and freehand implant groups, clinical indicators, including initial stability, distance to the inferior alveolar nerve canal, depth of implant placement, and various deviations, were systematically recorded. Statistical analysis, employing 1- or 2-way ANOVA and Student's t-test, allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of each technique. RESULTS: All 130 implants were successfully placed with an average torque of 22.53 ± 5.93 N.cm. In the navigation group, the distance to the inferior alveolar nerve and the depth of implant placement were significantly greater compared to the guide plate and freehand groups (P < 0.05). Implant deviation was significantly smaller in both the navigation and guide plate groups compared to the freehand group(P < 0.05). Additionally, the navigation group exhibited significantly reduced root and angle deviations compared to the guide plate group(P < 0.05), highlighting the superior precision of navigation-assisted immediate implant placement. CONCLUSIONS: It is more advantageous to use dynamic navigation rather than a static guide plate and free-hand implant insertion for immediate posterior mandibular implant implantation.

A nationwide investigation on the characteristics and health risk of trace elements in surface water across China.

Rapid urbanization accelerates the release of anthropogenic heavy metals from local to wider water systems, posing a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and public health. The characteristics of trace elements were investigated to evaluate the environmental status of surface water in 40 cities of China. The concentrations of 22 elements in surface water ranged from 7.00 × 10-4 to 4.37 × 105 µg/L. The water quality can be classified as "excellent" except Songhuajiang. The levels of As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Hg are all within the limits permitted by national drinking water quality standards. An obvious regional distribution characteristic was observed, with concentrations of Zn, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, U, and Cr higher in surface water collected in the north than in the south, while the trends for Cd, Tl, and As are opposite. Notably, Tl shows significant geographical divergences, with the level of surface water collected from the south nine times higher than that from the north. The regional distribution of the mineral, industrial, or agricultural activity might be responsible for the south-to-north difference of these elements. The hazard index (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR) through oral or dermal contact with water-related heavy metals were further calculated. The average HI was 0.54 in the north and 0.29 in the south for adults, while HI for children was relatively higher. The value was 1.01 and 0.55 in the north and south, respectively. TCR in the north is 2.58 × 10-4 and mainly contributed by Cr (88.1 %), while TCR in the south is 4.48 × 10-5 and mainly contributed by As (98.4 %). The research results can provide essential data for effective water resources management and human health protection in China.

Accumulation characteristics of metals in human breast milk and association with dietary intake in northeastern China.

The trace elements present in breast milk play a vital role in the growth and development of infants. Nevertheless, numerous studies have reported the presence of toxic metal contamination in breast milk from various countries and regions, which poses potential risks to breastfed infants. This article aimed to investigate the characteristics of trace elements in breast milk and explore the relationship between breast milk and diet in Dalian, a coastal city in northeastern China. Breast milk samples and representative local food samples were collected from Dalian for research. The results revealed that 57 % of breast milk samples significantly exceeded the WHO safety limit (0.6 µg/L) for arsenic, with a measured mean value of 0.96 µg/L. Moreover, the levels of chromium (mean value: 2.63 µg/L) in 34 % of breast milk samples exceed the WHO recommended safety level (chromium: 1.5 µg/L). Aquatic foods accounted for 60 % to 90 % of the total intake of arsenic, cadmium, vanadium, mercury, and lead. The Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive correlations among breast milk metal elements, including copper-zinc (r = 0.68) and nickel­chromium (r = 0.89). Furthermore, the food-to-milk accumulation factors (FMAF) of strontium, nickel, arsenic, vanadium, cadmium, and mercury were relatively low (median values <0.005). While the FMAF values for chromium and lead were higher, with median values of 0.038 and 0.07, respectively. The results indicated potential risks of the toxic metal arsenic in breast milk from Dalian, China for breastfed infants. Therefore, continuous monitoring of breast milk for toxic metals and foodborne contamination is necessary.

Residual levels and health risk assessment of trace metals in Chinese resident diet.

Large-scale metal contamination across the food web is an intractable problem due to increasing pollutant emissions, atmospheric transport, and dry and wet deposition of elements. The present study focus on several trace metals that are rarely studied but have special toxicity, including tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), gold (Au), hafnium (Hf), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), tellurium (Te) and iridium (Ir). We investigated trace metals residues and distribution characteristics, and further evaluated the potential health risks from major daily food intakes in 33 cities in China. Sn, Sb, Ir, Hf, and Au were frequently detected in food samples with the concentrations ranged from ND (not detected) to 24.78 µg/kg ww (wet weight). Eggs exhibited the highest residual level of all detected metals (13.70 ± 14.70 µg/kg ww in sum), while the lowest concentrations were observed in vegetables (0.53 ± 0.17 µg/kg ww in sum). Sn accounting for more than 50% of the total trace metals concentration in both terrestrial and aquatic animal origin foods. In terrestrial plant origin foods, Sn and Ir were the most abundant elements. Hf and Au were the most abundant elements in egg samples. In addition, Sb and Ir showed a clear trophic dilution effect in terrestrial environments, while in aquatic ecosystems, Sn, Hf, and Au exhibited obvious trophic amplification effects. The calculated average estimated daily intake (EDI) via food consumption in five regions of China was 0.09 µg/(kg·day), implying the health risk of aforementioned elements was acceptable.

HALP score based on hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet can predict the prognosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Objective: The preoperative hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score, a comprehensive marker of nutritional and immunological status, has been found to be robust for tumor prognosis prediction. Here, we evaluated the use of HALP in the prognostic prediction of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Study design: Patients with TSCC were retrospectively recruited from the years 2009-2019. Patient clinicopathological characteristics, along with preoperative blood parameters, were recorded on admission, and the cut-off HALP value was determined by X-tile software. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictive value of HALP for patient overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: A total of 339 TSCC patients were enrolled. The optimal HALP threshold was 56 and the patients were divided into two groups according to their scores. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients in the high-HALP group experienced longer OS (p = 0.007) and DFS (p = 0.006) than those in the low-HALP group. Multivariate analysis showed that elevated HALP (p = 0.038) was an independent predictor of OS, while age (p = 0.008), T stage (p < 0.001), N stage (p = 0.020), and degree of tumor differentiation (p < 0.001) were risk factors. Conclusion: The findings showed that the preoperative HALP score was an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with TSCC.

Integration approach of transcriptomics and metabolomics reveals the toxicity of Anthracene and its chlorinated derivatives on human hepatic cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Chlorinated PAHs (Cl-PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The toxicological information of anthracene (Ant) and its chlorinated derivatives is quite limited. In this study, an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis approach was adopted to assess the toxic effects triggered by Ant and its chlorinated derivatives, 2-chloroanthracene (2-ClAnt) and 9,10-dichloroanthracen (9,10-Cl2Ant), at human-relevant levels on human normal hepatocyte L02 cells. The cell viability test showed no significant effects on the viability of L02 cells exposed to Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant at doses of 5-500 nM for 24 h. However, based on transcriptomic analysis, Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant exposure at human-relevant levels obviously perturbed global gene expression in L02 cells and induced the differential expression of several genes related to cancer development. As the number of genes related to cancer development altered by 9,10-Cl2Ant is the largest, 9,10-Cl2Ant posed greater risks of tumor development than Ant and 2-ClAnt did. Metabolomics analysis demonstrated that Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant caused significant metabolic perturbation in L02 cells. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant mainly perturbed the lipid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism pathway. However, 9,10-Cl2Ant caused a wider perturbation to metabolic pathways than Ant and 2-ClAnt did. In addition, dysregulation of nucleotide metabolism perturbed by Ant, 2-ClAnt and 9,10-Cl2Ant may be associated with the genomic instability and further carcinogenesis.

[Determination of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in different components of human blood using gas chromatography-electron capture negative ion-low resolution mass spectrometry].

Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) have attracted significant attention because of their persistence, biotoxicity, bioaccumulation, and long-range migration. Given their worldwide detection in a variety of environmental matrices, concerns related to the high exposure risks of SCCPs and MCCPs to humans have grown. Thus, knowledge of the contamination patterns of SCCPs and MCCPs and their distribution characteristics in the vivo exposure of humans is of great importance. However, little information is available on the contamination of SCCPs and MCCPs in human blood/plasma/serum, mainly because of the difficulty of sample preparation and quantitative analysis. In this study, a new blood sample pretreatment method based on Percoll discontinuous density gradient centrifugation was developed to separate plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets from human whole blood. A series of Percoll sodium chloride buffer solutions with mass concentrations of 1.095, 1.077, and 1.060 g/mL were placed in a centrifuge tube from top to bottom to establish discontinuous density gradients. The dosage for each density gradient was 1.5 mL. Human whole blood samples mixed with 0.85% sodium chloride aqueous solution were then added to the top layer of the Percoll sodium chloride solution. After centrifugation, the whole blood was separated into four components. The plasma was located at the top layer of the centrifuge tube, whereas the platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells were retained at the junction of the various Percoll sodium chloride solutions. The sampling volume of human whole blood and incubation time were optimized, and results indicated that an excessively long incubation time could lead to hemolysis, resulting in a decrease in the recoveries of SCCPs and MCCPs. Therefore, a sampling volume of 1.5 mL and incubation time of 10 min at 4 ℃ were adopted. The cells of the blood components were further broken and extracted by ultrasonic pretreatment, followed by multilayer silica gel column chromatography for lipid removal. The use of 80 mL of n-hexane-dichloromethane (1∶1, v/v) and 50 mL of dichloromethane as the elution solvents (collected together) for the gel column separated the SCCPs and MCCPs from the lipid molecules in the blood samples. Gas chromatography-electron capture negative ion-low resolution mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-LRMS) was used to determine the SCCPs and MCCPs. Quantification using the corrected total response factor with degrees of chlorination was achieved with linear corrections (R2=0.912 and 0.929 for the SCCPs and MCCPs, respectively). The method detection limits (MDLs) for the SCCPs and MCCPs were 1.57 and 8.29 ng/g wet weight (ww, n=7), respectively. The extraction internal standard recoveries were 67.0%-126.6% for the SCCPs and 69.5%-120.5% for the MCCPs. The developed method was applied to determine SCCPs and MCCPs in actual human whole blood samples. The contents of SCCPs and MCCPs were 10.81-65.23 and 31.82-105.65 ng/g (ww), respectively. Red blood cells exhibited the highest contents of CPs, followed by plasma, white blood cells, and platelets. The proportions of SCCPs and MCCPs in red blood cells and plasma were 70% and 66%, respectively. In all four components, the MCCP contents were higher than the SCCP contents, and the ratios of MCCPs to SCCPs ranged from 1.04 to 3.78. Similar congener patterns of SCCPs and MCCPs were found in the four components of human whole blood. C10-CPs and C14-CPs were predominantly observed in the SCCPs and MCCPs, respectively. In summary, a simple and efficient method was proposed to determine low concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs in human blood with high sensitivity and selectivity. This method can meet requirements for the quantitative analysis of SCCPs and MCCPs in human blood components, thereby providing technical support for human health risk assessment.

Toxic effects and toxicological mechanisms of chlorinated paraffins: A review for insight into species sensitivity and toxicity difference.

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), a group of chlorinated alkane mixtures, are frequently detected in various environmental matrices and human bodies. Recently, CPs have garnered considerable attention owing to their potential to induce health hazards in wildlife and human. Several reviews have discussed short-chain CPs (SCCPs) induced ecological risk; however, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying toxic mechanisms and a comparison among SCCPs, medium-, and long-chain CPs (MCCPs and LCCPs, respectively) are yet to be established. This review summarizes the latest research progress on the toxic effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of CPs. The main toxicity mechanisms of CPs include activation of several receptors, oxidative stress, disturbance of energy metabolism, and inhibition of gap junction-mediated communication. The sensitivity of different species to CP-mediated toxicities varies markedly, with aquatic organisms exhibiting the highest sensitivity to CP-induced toxicity. The toxicity comparison analysis indicated that MCCPs may be unsafe as potential substitutes for SCCPs.

Regulation of endothelial cells on the osteogenic ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in peri-implantitis.

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between bone resorption and angiogenesis in peri-implantitis remains to be studied. We constructed a Beagle dog model of peri-implantitis, and extracted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) for culture. The osteogenic ability of BMSCs in the presence of ECs was investigated through an in vitro osteogenic induction model, and its mechanism was initially explored. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The peri-implantitis model was verified by ligation, bone loss was observed by micro-CT, and cytokines were detected by ELISA. The isolated BMSCs and ECs were cultured to detect the expression of angiogenesis, osteogenesis-related proteins, and NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins. RESULTS: 8 weeks after surgery, the peri-implant gums were swollen, and micro-CT showed bone resorption. Compared with the control group, IL-1ß, TNF-α, ANGII and VEGF were markedly increased in the peri-implantitis group. In vitro studies found that the osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs co-cultured with IECs was decreased, and the expression of NF-κB signaling pathway-related cytokines was increased. CONCLUSION: Endothelial cells inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through NF-κB signaling in the environment of peri-implantitis, which may become a new target for the treatment of peri-implantitis.

Accumulation and distribution characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs) in the naturally grown marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) from the soil.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are considered environmental pollutants that have received extensive attention recently. The accumulation of REEs in plants is important because REEs can eventually enter the human body via the food chain. Marigolds are widely utilized as medicinal and commercial plants in medicine, feed, and therapeutics. Due to the extremely high demand for marigold in global, it is urgent to investigate the accumulation and distribution of REEs in marigold plants to reduce human and animal health risks. Marigold leaves tended to bioaccumulate the highest amounts of REEs from soil compared with other tissues. The distribution patterns of REEs in marigold were similar to those in the rhizosphere soil, which was enriched in light rare earth elements. Cerium accumulated most in marigold and soil, accounting for nearly 50% of ΣREEs, followed by lanthanum, neodymium, and yttrium. Roots were the most susceptible tissue affected by soil REE concentration, and a significant positive correlation was observed for REEs in the roots of marigold and soils (R = 0.87), while no significant correlation was observed for REEs in soils and other tissues. REEs were poorly transferred from soil to marigold, with bioaccumulation factor values for all tissues of marigold less than one. Additionally, REEs exhibited a positive correlation with Al and Fe in the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers of marigold. The present research revealed the biological interactions between marigold and soil and the distribution of REEs in various parts of marigold. It provides a reference for large-scale commercial cultivation and potential environmental risk in the future.

Clinical study of dynamic real-time navigation assisted immediate implant without flapping in the esthetic zone.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effect of Dynamic real-time navigation to assist immediate implant without flapping in the esthetic zone. METHODS: Eight patients who underwent immediate implantation in the aesthetic area were included. A total of 11 implants were implanted using dynamic real-time navigation system combined with non-flap technology. Clinical indicators including implant deviation, initial stability, alveolar bone absorption, implant success rate, pink esthetic score (PES), Papilla index score (PIS), and the thickness of labial side bone plate of the implant were recorded. RESULTS: The deviation between the actual implant position and the preoperative design was (0.76±0.08) mm at the top, (1.11±0.18) mm at the root, (0.90±0.16) mm at the depth, and (1.48±0.91)°at the Angle. ISO values of all implants were greater than 59. PES was greater than 8. PIS index was 2 or 3. The average alveolar bone absorption was (0.34±0.09) mm and the thickness of bone plate on the lip of implant was greater than 1.6 mm. The success rate of implantation was 100%. CONCLUSION: The use of dynamic real-time navigation assisted non-flap implantation in the aesthetic area can effectively reduce implant deviation and improve the aesthetic effect.

A comparative study of the morphology and molecular biology between the Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum.

Schneiderian membrane is an indispensable structure for osteogenesis under the sinus floor space after maxillary sinus floor elevation.Therefore,this study aimed to compare the Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum in various aspects to explore whether the Schneiderian membrane has a periosteal layer and osteogenic ability. Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum specimens were collected and stained with HE, Masson, and Sirius red. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the expression and localization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Then MSCs from two tissues were isolated,cultured, and identified. The expression of osteogenic markers OCN, RUNX2, and BMP2 ware detected by Western blotting and quantitative PCR after osteogenic differentiation.The morphological observations revealed both the Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum were composed of three layers.Immunofluorescence staining showed that the inner bone surface layer of the Schneiderian membrane was rich in MSCs, which was similar to the cambium layer of the palatine mucoperiosteum.In addition, MSCs from two tissues showed similar morphological phenotype. After further osteogenic induction of the two groups, the expression of BMP2, RUNX2, and OCN were significantly increased. This study provide a novel insight into that Schneiderian membrane is a mucoperiosteal membrane rich of MSCs, containing a periosteal layer and osteogenic ability similar to mucoperiosteum.

Circulating tumor cells in blood as a prognostic biomarker in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a prognostic biomarker of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). STUDY DESIGN: CTC levels in the peripheral blood of 50 patients with TSCC at baseline (i.e., before treatment) and of 8 healthy donors were determined using the NanoVelcro system. The relationship between CTC levels and clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcomes such as recurrence, metastasis, and death during follow-up (mean 17 months) was analyzed. RESULTS: CTCs levels were closely correlated with TSCC clinical staging (P = .002), N staging (P = .007), and progression status (P = .002) in TSCC patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the count of CTC ≥4 (area under curve: 0.832 [95% confidence interval 0.695-0.950]; sensitivity: 0.83; specificity: 0.75; P < .001) was a better prognostic marker than TNM stage (area under curve: 0.692 [0.536-0.848]; sensitivity: 0.83; specificity: 0.55; P = .023). In addition, univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the CTC was an important and independent predictive factor for overall survival and disease-free survival (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: CTC was an independent prognostic indicator in patients with TSCC. CTC may be used as an auxiliary parameter to predict the prognosis of TSCC.

Insights into the hepatotoxicity of pyrene and 1-chloropyrene using an integrated approach of metabolomics and transcriptomics.

The toxicity of pyrene (Pyr) and its chlorinated species have not be comprehensively and clearly elucidated. In this study, an integrated approach of metabolomics and transcriptomics were applied to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of Pyr and 1-chloropyrene (1-Cl-Pyr) at human exposure level, using human L02 hepatocytes. After 24 h exposure to Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr at 5-500 nM, cell viability was not significantly changed. Transcriptomics results showed that exposure to Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr at 5 and 50 nM obviously altered the gene expression profiles, but did not significantly induce the expression of genes strongly related to the activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), such as CYP1A1, CYP1B1, AHR, ARNT. Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr both induced a notable metabolic perturbation to L02 cells. Glycerophospholipid metabolism was found to be the most significantly perturbed pathway after exposure to Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr, indicating their potential damage to the cell membrane. The other significantly perturbed pathways were identified to be oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), glycolysis, and fatty acid ß oxidation, all of which are related to energy production. Exposure to Pyr at 5 and 50 nM induced the up-regulation of fatty acid ß oxidation and OXPHOS. The similar result was observed after exposure to 5 nM 1-Cl-Pyr. In contrast, exposure to 50 nM 1-Cl-Pyr induced the down-regulation of OXPHOS by inhibiting the activity of complex I. The obtained results suggested that the modes of action of Pyr and 1-Cl-Pyr on energy production remarkably varied not only with molecular structure change but also with exposure concentration.

Occurrence, accumulation, and health risks of heavy metals in Chinese market baskets.

Residual levels and accumulation characteristics of six hazardous heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Hg, Tl, Pb, and U) and seven essential heavy metal elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Se) were investigated in 17 kinds of frequently consumed foodstuffs collected from 33 cities distributed in five regions of China. The concentrations of the detected metals were lower than the maximum limits promulgated by the Chinese government except Pb and inorganic As (iAs). Foods of aquatic origin and terrestrial plant origin exhibited high potentials to accumulate heavy metals, especially algae and shellfish. The calculated hazard index (HI) of heavy metal exposure via consumption of foodstuffs were 2.93-5.01 for adults in the five surveyed region, implying the co-exposure of heavy metals via food consumption would lead to potential non-carcinogenic risks. iAs was the predominant contributor to HI values with the average contribution of 40.5% in all five regions. Consumption of terrestrial plant origin foods contributed 76.9% of HI values induced by heavy metal exposure. The calculated target cancer risks of iAs in the five regions were 5 × 10-4-1 × 10-3, all exceeding the acceptable level of 10-4, indicating it is necessary and urgent to reduce the contamination of iAs in foodstuffs on the Chinese markets.

Residual levels and health risk assessment of rare earth elements in Chinese resident diet: A market-based investigation.

The widespread use of rare earth elements (REEs) in agriculture and high-tech industry resulted in significant release of REEs into the environment. However, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on the presence of REEs in the food worldwide. The present study investigated the residual levels of REEs in 14 representative food categories collected from 33 major cities of China. The measured total REEs (ΣREE) levels in the foods of aquatic origin were 174.97 µg kg-1 wet weight (ww), which was 6.35 times higher than those of terrestrial origin. It is interesting to observe a trophic dilution effect for REEs in both terrestrial and aquatic food samples. REEs in food samples at low trophic levels exhibited relatively high REEs levels; while for high trophic level food, relatively low REEs levels were observed. The distribution patterns of REEs varied across the different food categories and regions, with Ce being the most abundant REEs in all food samples, followed by La, Nd and Sm. High levels of ΣREE in food samples were observed in Midland, while low levels were found in the Northeast. Cereals was the dominant contributor to the estimated daily intake of REEs. The health risk of REEs by daily food consumption in China was acceptable.

A Membrane-Supported Bifunctional Poly(amidoxime-ethyleneimine) Network for Enhanced Uranium Extraction from Seawater and Wastewater.

Uranium extraction from natural seawater and wastewater are quintessential requirements to supply uninterrupted carbon-free nuclear energy and to prevent potential radiochemical and toxicological effects, respectively. Owing to the complexity and low-concentration uranium of these water samples, the design and synthesis of sorbent materials for uranium extraction with meaningful efficiencies remains a grand challenge. Herein, we reported a novel three-dimensional bifunctional network of hyperbranched poly(amidoxime-ethyleneimine) (PAO-h-PEI) using PEI as the skeleton material via cyanoethylation, crosslinking and then amidoximation. As a result of the synergistic supramolecular strategy, the PAO-h-PEI membrane achieved a remarkable adsorption capacity of 985.7 mg/g for aqueous uranium solution, which was 2.5 folds that of the monofunctional h-PEI membrane (387.6 mg/g). The PAO-h-PEI membrane also exhibited good selectivity towards uranium in the presence of various metal ions, high-content salt, and natural organic matter as well as common anions. According to the XPS and FTIR results, the utilization of amines as the second ligand enhanced uranyl binding by providing additional coordination sites or by interacting with oxime to force N-OH dissociation. The good reusability (adsorption rate of 93% after six adsorption-desorption cycles) and satisfactory adsorption performance in extracting low-concentration uranium in real seawater demonstrate its practicability.